Vibe Coding 101: Pros, Cons, and the Future of Software Engineering

Have you ever had a brilliant idea but felt defeated because you don't know the first thing about Python or JavaScript? Apparently, you might not be alone. For years, there's been a massive wall between having an idea and actually building it.

Vibe coding is a term that has been buzzing in the tech landscape for a while. It's a concept that is completely changing the game. But, what is vibe coding? I am sure you have likely come across this term in the past few months. 

Vibe coding is a term that was coined by Andrej Karpathy earlier this year (February 2025). The idea was to be able to tell AI exactly what you want, and watch it write the code for you. Of course you don't have to worry about how every little part works, you just try it, see if it feels right, and tell the computer to fix things if needed.

Let’s break down what Vibe Coding really is, where it shines, and the surprising challenges you need to watch out for.

   What is Vibe Coding? (It’s Exactly What It Sounds Like)

Forget memorizing complex syntax. Vibe Coding simply means using natural, human language, literally the vibe of what you want to instruct powerful Large Language Models (LLMs) like Gemini, GitHub Copilot, or Cursor to generate functional software. The process is a fast, fun loop:

1. You Prompt: "Build me a simple website that tracks my morning coffee intake and saves it to a spreadsheet."

2. The AI Codes: The LLM instantly writes the HTML, CSS, and database logic.

3. You Test & Refine: If the button doesn't work, you don't debug line-by-line. You just tell the AI, "Hey, that 'Save' button is broken, and I need it to be blue. Fix it."

Don't believe this works? Let's test Gemini in action.

It didn’t just generate the code for us, it also let us preview and test the app ourselves. Pretty neat, right?

                          Why Is This A Game Changer?

Vibe Coding is a massive leap forward, not just for pro developers but for everyone with an idea. Here are some of the reasons why I think vibe coding has changed the game.

1. Zero Barrier to Entry

This is the big one. If you can write an email, you can vibe code. It suddenly opens the door for entrepreneurs, designers, and domain experts to build tools without needing a Computer Science degree. It completely shatters the barrier between having a brilliant concept and rapid prototyping an MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

2. Insane Speed

Need a basic login form? A new feature for your app? An LLM can whip up the boilerplate code in seconds. For professionals, this means you save hours on repetitive, tedious tasks, allowing you to focus your expensive brainpower on complex architectural challenges and truly novel features.

3. It's a Fantastic Teacher

As you iterate, the AI shows you the code it wrote. This creates a low-stakes learning environment. You naturally start to see how certain prompts translate into specific programming patterns, making it a great way to casually build your coding literacy.

             The Rough Patches: Where Vibe Coding Hits Snags

Like any revolutionary technology, Vibe Coding has its shadows. It’s important to stay grounded and not get completely swept away by the vibe. Let's take a look at some of its rough patches:

1. The Speed-Quality Trade-Off: AI is fast, but most times the code isn't always clean. It can often be disorganized, inefficient, or filled with unnecessary complexity. You may need an expert eye (or a critical eye) to verify the quality.

2. Hidden Security Risks: Sometimes because the code is generated so quickly, it can easily contain security vulnerabilities that a rushed human developer might miss. If you don't read and test the output, you could unknowingly build a security hole into your app. 

3. The Prompt Struggle: Getting simple code is easy. Getting complex, nuanced code requires you to be an excellent communicator. If your instructions are vague, the AI will just guess, leading to frustrating back-and-forth prompts until you hit the right "vibe."

Bottom line? You still need to be the responsible adult in the room. You have to check the code, just like you’d proofread an important document before sending it.

                        Is Vibe Coding The Future?

I personally think vibe coding is here to stay and it's fundamentally changing what it means to be a developer. It's not a replacement for human talent like some people say, it's an accelerator.

In the future, the highest-value roles won't just be for the fastest typists. They'll belong to:

1. The Prompt Engineer: The person who masters the art of communicating with the AI. They understand which tools to use and how to ask the perfect, precise question to get the best code output.

2. The Architect: The human who focuses on the big picture. They ensure the AI's speedy creations fit into a stable, secure, and scalable system.

Vibe Coding closes the gap between intention and execution. It allows us to spend less time building things right  and more time ensuring we’re building the right things. This is the innovative, useful software that humans have always needed.

I hope you learnt a thing or two. Bye for now!